Garment having concealed slide fastener



Feb. 26, 1963 GARMENT E. V. PlCClONE HAVING CONCEALED SLIDE FASTENER Filed Oct. 24, 1960 INVENTOR. EDYTHE PICCIONE M Kim ATTORNEY United States Patent() sylvania Filed Oct. 24, 1960, Ser. No. 64,491 Claims. (Cl. 2-265) This invention relates to a garment having a concealed slide fastener.

Heretofore, it has been conventional to provide womens formal wear, such as wedding dresses, with juxtaposed edges secured by a plurality of spaced cloth-covered buttons. The number of such buttons is usually quite numerous, in the neighborhood of thirty-five to forty buttons. Since each of these buttons must be manipulated so as to extend through a loop, it should be clear that the manipulation of this large number of buttons is time consuming. Since these dresses are generally worn by brides, bridesmaids, etc., and since there is usually a great deal of activity going on at the same time that the dress is being put on, it is desirable to provide these dresses with a means for securing the juxtaposed edges of the garment in a more rapid manner. At the same time, it is desirable to retain the row of spaced cloth-covered buttons which have been conventional heretofore.

The fit obtained with such dresses made in a conventional manner is not smooth since the buttons pull on the loops and create a crease. Also, there is an opening between buttons which is objectionable.

It is an object of this invention to provide a smooth fitting garment having a slide fastener which is concealed in a novel manner.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a formal wear garment with a slide fastener which is concealed by a row of cloth-covered buttons secured to a layer of mesh-type stiffener material, whereby the garment has a smooth fit.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a formal wear dress, such as a wedding dress, with the conventional row of cloth-covered buttons, and yet be able to separate juxtaposed edges adjacent said buttons in a rapid manner.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention there is shown in the drawings a form which is presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a garment having a concealed slide fastener constructed in accordance with the present invention.

FIGURE 2 is a bottom plan view of the structure shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a transverse cross-sectional view taken along lines 3-3 in FIGURE 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail, wherein like numerals indicate like elements, there is shown in FIGURE 1, a garment having a concealed slide fastener designated generally as 10.

The structure designated generally as comprises a garment body wherein cloth members 12 and 14 have juxtaposed edges 16 and 18 partially joined together by the seam 20. The body is preferably made from, but not limited to, material such as talfeta, silk, satin, etc.

The cloth member 12 includes an outer ply 22 and an inner ply 24. The inner and outer plies 24 and 22 are integral with one another and extend from the edge 16. The cloth member 14 includes an outer ply 26 and an inner ply 28. The inner and outer plies 28 and 26 are integral with one another and extend from the edge 18.

A two-ply layer 30 of mesh-type stiffener material is secured to the inner ply 24 by a line of stitching positioned adjacent the edge 16. A two-ply layer 32 of mesh-type stiffener material is secured to the inner ply 28 by a line of stitching positioned adjacent the edge 18. As shown in FIGURE 3, the lines of stitching securing the layers 30 and 32 to the cloth members 12 and 14 extend only through the inner plies 24 and 28 of said cloth members 12 and 14.

A slide fastener tape 34 is secured to the cloth member 12 with the layer 30 disposed therebetween by a line of stitching 36 which extends through the tape 3-4, both plies of the layer 30, the inner ply 24, and the outer ply 22.

A two-ply layer 38 of mesh-type stiffener material is disposed against the layer 32 with a portion of the layer 38 extending across the gap defined by the edges 16 and 18. If desired, the free edges of the layer 38 may be joined by a line of stitching 40.

A tape 42 is secured to the cloth member 14 by a line of stitching 44 with the layers 32 and 38 disposed therebetween as shown in FIGURE 3. The inner edges of the tapes 34 and 42 are provided with slide fastener elements 46 and 48 meshingly engaged by reciprocation of the slider 58. The slider 58 is provided with a pull tab (not shown) adapted to be disposed between the slide fastener elements and the layer 38.

A plurality of cloth-covered buttons 52 are sewn to the layer 38 at spaced points ther-ealong. The cloth-covered buttons 52 are of the type conventionally found on formal wear, such as wedding dresses, and per se form no part of the present invention. The lowermost ends of the stitching 36 and 44 are joined by stitching 54 which extends across the lowermost ends of the tapes 34 and 42 and the seam 20. The lowermost ends of the tapes 34 and 42 are joined by a bottom stop 56 as shown more clearly in FIGURE 2.

It will be noted that the portion of the layer 38 on which the buttons 52 are secured extends across the gap defined by the edges 16 and 18 and therefore conceals the slide fastener which otherwise would be visible because of the gap defined by the edges 16 and 18. Since the righthand edge of the layer 38 as seen in FIGURE 3 is unsecured, the portion of the layer 38 intermediate the edges 16 and 18 may be pivoted about the stitching 44 to reveal the fastener elements 46 and 48 and to permit the pull tab on the slider 50 to be manipulated so as to meshingly engage or disengage the fastener elements 46 and 48. It will be noted that the edges 16 and 18 extend beneath the cloth-covered buttons 52 in the normal disposition of said edges.

Thus, it will be seen that I have provided a garment which may be a wedding gown, with a conventional row of buttons, and yet juxtaposed edges of the garment may be rapidly joined or separated by use of a slide fastener which is concealed from view.

The concealed slide fastener of the present invention may be assembled and secured to a garment without requiring any special attachments for sewing machines.

As used hereinafter, that portion of the cloth members 12 and 14 extending between the edge 16 and stitching 36, and the edge 18 and stitching 44, may be referred to as plackets.

If desired, fancy buttons having decorative elements such as rhinestones thereon may be substituted for the cloth-covered buttons 52. If desired, the layers 30 and 32 may be eliminated.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A garment having a concealed slide fastener comprising a garment body having first and second cloth me-mbers, said first and second cloth members having juxtaposed spaced edges, a layer of mesh-type stiffener material attached to each of said first and second cloth members, said layers extending from said edges, a first slide fastener tape secured to said first cloth member by a line of stitching spaced from the edge of said first cloth member with the stiffener material secured to said first cloth member therebetween, a second slide fastener tape secured to said second cloth member by a line of stitching spaced from the edge of said second cloth member with the stiffener material secured to said second cloth member therebetween, and means mounting a row of buttons between said edges so as to conceal said first and second tapes and slide fastener elements on said first and second tapes.

2. A garment in accordance with claim 1 wherein said buttons are covered with a cloth material.

3. A garment in accordance with claim 1 wherein said means is a two-ply layer of mesh-type stiffener material extending across the gap defined by the spacing of said edges, a portion of said last mentioned layer of mesh-type stiffener material being disposed between said second tape and the layer of stilfener material secured to said second cloth member.

47 A garment having a concealed slide fastener comprising a garment body having juxtaposed spaced plackets, a row of spaced buttons having stems disposed between said plackets, said buttons being secured to a stiffener material extending across the gap defined by said plackets, and a slide fastener concealed by said stifliener material and buttons, said slide fastener having tapes secured to said body adjacent each of said plackets.

5. A garment in accordance with claim 4 wherein a layer of mesh-type'stifi'ener material is secured to the inner surface of said plackets, the inner surface of said plackets being that surface which is juxtaposed to the fastener tapes.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,677,134 Guyton May 4, 1954 2,962,725 Breslaw Dec. 6, 1960 2,972,751 r Leonardet a] Feb. 28, 1961 

1. A GARMENT HAVING A CONCEALED SLIDE FASTENER COMPRISING A GARMENT BODY HAVING FIRST AND SECOND CLOTH MEMBERS, SAID FIRST AND SECOND CLOTH MEMBERS HAVING JUXTAPOSED SPACED EDGES, A LAYER OF MESH-TYPE STIFFENER MATERIAL ATTACHED TO EACH OF SAID FIRST AND SECOND CLOTH MEMBERS, SAID LAYERS EXTENDING FROM SAID EDGES, A FIRST SLIDE FASTENER TAPE SECURED TO SAID FIRST CLOTH MEMBER BY A LINE OF STITCHING SPACED FROM THE EDGE OF SAID FIRST CLOTH MEMBER WITH THE STIFFENER MATERIAL SECURED TO SAID FIRST CLOTH MEMBER THEREBETWEEN, A SECOND SLIDE FASTENER TAPE SECURED TO SAID SECOND CLOTH MEMBER BY A LINE OF STITCHING SPACED FROM THE EDGE OF SAID SECOND CLOTH MEMBER WITH THE STIFFENER MATERIAL SECURED TO SAID SECOND CLOTH MEMBER THEREBETWEEN, AND MEANS MOUNTING A ROW OF BUTTONS BETWEEN SAID EDGES SO AS TO CONCEAL SAID FIRST AND SECOND TAPES AND SLIDE FASTENER ELEMENTS ON SAID FIRST AND SECOND TAPES. 